Philip Amis

Making sense of urban poverty

This paper synthesizes recent work on urban poverty with an emphasis being placed on the relationship between urban poverty and the labour market. The themes considered include the distinction between permanent and temporary poverty and between trends and shocks. A number of distinctive features of urban poverty are discussed including the informal labour market, female headed households, the individualized nature of urban poverty and the greater exposure of urban residents to environmental risks. A final section considers policy implications, differentiating between promotive and protective strategies.

Rethinking UK aid in urban India: reflections on an impact assessment study of slum improvement projects

This paper reflects on the findings of an impact assessment of slum upgrading programmes in three cities in India. The study was commissioned by the donor that had funded them, the UK Government’s Department for International Development, to consider their effectiveness in reducing poverty. The paper documents the approach taken, including formal survey work and extensive consultation with households in 12 slums, and presents the findings. These highlight the many dimensions of deprivation faced by slum dwellers. They also point to the relative success of upgrading projects in providing basic infrastructure (and its direct and indirect impacts). The paper also discusses the difficulties in drawing simple policy recommendations and the often unexpected (and indirect) ways in which studies such as these influence international donors, including those that commission them.

Urban economic growth, infrastructure and poverty in India: lessons from Visakhapatnam

This paper describes the rapid economic growth in the city of Visakhapatnam which is now one of India’s largest ports and an important industrial town and seaside resort/retirement centre. It highlights how the city’s further growth is constrained by inadequate investment in infrastructure - especially for water and electricity - and discusses the political and institutional reasons for this. It then presents the findings of participatory research on poverty, and the many dimensions of poverty which are emphasized by urban poor groups, including inadequate incomes, lack of assets (“no shelter, no property, no gold”), lack of support (especially for widows, deserted women and the handicapped), illness and debt. It discusses the direct and indirect impacts on poverty of a DFID slum improvement project, showing which improvements low-income groups particularly appreciated. This demonstrated the importance of infrastructure and service provision to poverty reduction within a wider recognition that this is but one important aspect.

Policy dimensions of land-use change in peri-urban floodplains: the case of Paraty

Peri-urban floodplains located in upstream reaches of urban areas play a key role in the resilience of social-ecological systems. The need to adapt to increasing flood risks by protecting these natural assets represents a huge challenge for many cities facing rapid expansion and limited financial resources for the mitigation of environmental impacts. To understand how better governance and management can be put in place, there is a need to map the key players shaping and/or being impacted by land-use change processes and assess the barriers keeping them from playing a more constructive role in the collaborative governance of cities, the natural resources which sustain them, and the environmental risks that pose a threat. A conceptualization of power regarding natural resource governance is presented and its implications for the relationships between actors and the many scales of decision making is discussed. Drawing on existing literature, we develop a heuristic framework for analyzing policy dimensions of land-use change processes, and reflect on the possible ways for key stakeholders to become over time more committed to and involved in a collaborative approach to the development of land use policies for urban flood prevention. We apply this framework to the Brazilian city of Paraty, a case study through which the recurring problem of flooding exposes the deepening tensions between conservation and development. Empirical results demonstrate the need to acknowledge the politicization of floodplain change and the importance of trying to bridge the gap between sectors and actors with conflicting interest in urban environmental management.

Employment creation or environmental improvements: A literature review of urban poverty and policy in India

Abstract This paper provides a general literature review on the question of Indian urban poverty with the object of considering the importance of an employment creation or environmental improvement approach to poverty alleviation. The literature clearly shows the importance of the labour market in terms of segments and casualisation, gender and short run shocks in explaining the incidence of poverty. However, the independent nature of environmental problems is also highlighted. In conclusion, the policy implication is that both employment creation and environmental improvements are necessary.

Urban Poverty in East Africa: Comparative Analysis of the Trajectories of Nairobi and Kampala

The aim of this paper is to document and explain the changing nature of urban poverty in East Africa since 1970, in particular in the two cities of Kampala and Nairobi. It will argue that the concept of proleterianization is helpful in understanding the changes in urban poverty and politics.